Please excuse the horn tooting, but I just spotted this the other day. The coolest part was that I just happened to be with Morgan Spurlock at the time (my first time meeting him). He got as much of a kick out of it as I did.

Read my full review of Morgan Spurlock’s COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE at Twitch:
TIFF 2011: Spurlock’s COMIC-CON Will Make You A Fan

I should have obviously posted this earlier, but while there is horn tooting going on, check out the first quote up in the awesome theatrical trailer for THE RAID: REDEMPTION (at 1:24).

LOS CHIDOS
The Mars Volta founding member Omar Rodriguez Lopez‘s second film is the story of a junkyard dwelling Mexican family whose world is turned on its head when an American business man shows up with a flat tire. The film has been encouragingly subtitled “(A Satire).” Pun, perhaps, intended?

THE TAIWAN OYSTER
Director Mark Jarrett draws on his 3 years of teaching experience in Taiwan to tell this story of a pair of ex-pat English teachers on an odyssey along that country’s coastline to bury a fallen comrade.

EDEN
Megan Griffiths‘s follow-up to 2011 Sundance Next-er The Off Hours is this Las Vegas sex slavery drama starring Jamie Chung, Matt O’Leary, and Beau Bridges.

GAYBY
Jonathan Liscki‘s adaptation of his award winning Wholpin short is the story of a gay comic book writer and his female yoga teacher best friend who decide to have a child together.

BEWARE OF MR. BAKER
This wild looking music doc by Jay Bulger tells the story of eccentric junkie drummer Ginger Baker who beat the skins for the likes of Cream and Blind Faith.

SEEKING ASIAN FEMALE
Debbie Lum explores American-Asian relationships and their global impact through one man’s search to find a Chinese bride online.

THE SHEIK AND I
I Am a Sex Addict director Caveh Zahedi defies his benefactors who commissioned this work by making this film that does the one thing they forbid him to do: lambaste the Sheik.

BAY OF ALL SAINTS
Annie Eastman takes us to rural Brazil in her docu exploring a community of people living in stilted water slums whose way of life is threatened in the name of ecological restoration.

THE BABYMAKERS
The latest film from the Broken Lizard guys is this sperm bank robbery comedy starring Paul Schneider, Olivia Munn, Kevin Heffernan, Wood Harris, and Aisha Tyler.

NATURE CALLS
Todd Rohal‘s follow-up to Sundance 2011 midnighter The Catechism Cataclysm is another camping trip comedy, this one starring Patton Oswalt and Johnny Knoxville as feuding brothers. Rob Riggle, Maura Tierney, Patrice O’Neal, and Darrell Hammond co-star.

THE DO-DECA PENTATHALON
The latest film from the movie making machine that is the Duplass Brothers is this story of two brothers competing in their own 25-event private Olympics. Mark Kelly and Steve Zissis star.

FRANKIE GO BOOM
Lizzy Caplan, Ron Perlman, Charlie Hunnam, and Chris O’Dowd star in Jordan Roberts‘s man and his formerly-drug-addicted-asshole brother comedy.

SMALL APARTMENTS
Spun helmer Jonas Akerlund directs Matt Lucas, Billy Crystal, James Caan, Johnny Knoxville, Juno Temple, James Marsden, Dolph Lundgren, and more in his kooky comedy about a weirdo/killer.

HUNKY DORY
Minnie Driver stars in Marc Evan‘s 1970s Shakespearean teen musical drama. Call it a Brit-Hippy Glee.

KEYHOLE
Isabella Rossellini, Jason Patric, and Udo Kier star in Guy Maddin‘s arty black and white 1930s gangster adaptation of The Odyssey.

WAITING FOR LIGHTNING
Go deep into the broken bone-filled world of big air skateboarder Danny Way in Jacob Rosenberg‘s docu.

JUST LIKE BEING THERE
Scout Shannon explores the artistic phenomenon of gig posters and the rise of fan created film posters a la Mondo.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Nelson George‘s ESPN 30 for 30 doc examines the incredible cultural significance of Magic Johnson’s HIV Positive revelation.

DEGENERATE ART: THE ART AND CULTURE OF GLASS PIPES
See title for explanation.

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon‘s genre-bending opening night-er might just be the most anticipated film of the fest. It stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, and Richard Jenkins.

21 JUMP STREET
There has been nothing but early praise for Phil Lord and Christopher Miller‘s comedic remake of this 80s classic TV drama. Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, and Ice Cube star.

GIRLS
Is it a TV show or a movie? It’s a bit unclear if this is a feature pilot or just the first few episodes of Lena Dunham‘s Judd Apatow produced show about girls in their 20s. The series will debut on HBO later this year.

THE HUNTER
Willem Dafoe stars alongside Frances O’Connor and Sam Neill in this Tasmanian Tiger hunter drama.

MARLEY
The Last King of Scotland director Kevin Macdonald returns to the field that won him an Oscar (Best Docu for One Day in September) with this first authorized bio-doc of the reggae legend.

KILLER JOE
Billy Friedkin‘s off beat hitman drama stars Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon, and Thomas Haden Church.

THE RAID
We are guessing you’ve heard a bit about Gareth Evans‘s Indonesian action soon-to-be blockbuster. Austin auds will finally get to see what all the buzz is about ahead of the film’s March 23rd release from Sony Pictures Classics.

THE IMPOSTER
How did a Spanish man get away with pretending to be a kidnapped Texan boy? Find out this and so much more in Bart Layton‘s stylish reenactment-driven hit Sundance documentary.

COMPLIANCE
Craig Zobel‘s extremely controversial drama about a fast food prank gone terribly wrong had audiences shouting at the filmmakers at Sundance. Will it create as large a stir in Austin?

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED
Colin Trevorrow‘s time travel investigatory comedy starring Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass found plenty of fans (including me) at its recent debut at Sundance.

BEAST
Christopher Boe‘s Danish thriller tells the story of man (no, not Hank McCoy) undergoing a strange transformation.

GOD BLESS AMERICA
It’s murder spree mayhem in Bobcat Goldthwaite‘s latest black-as-night comedy.

LAST CALL AT THE OASIS
Jessica Yu‘s (Protagonist, Ping Pong Playa) latest is a docu about our looming water crisis.

KID-THING
Austin based Zellner Bros. follow up Goliath with this odd little movie about a girl who finds a desperate woman trapped in a hole.

WE ARE LEGION: THE STORY OF THE HACKTIVISTS
Brian Knappenberger‘s Slamdance docu takes us into the bowels of Anonymous and their 4Chan beginnings with this look at the intersection of civil disobedience and hacker culture.

Richard Linklater‘s latest is this semi-docu murder comedy starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey

CASA DE MI PADRE
Yep… Will Ferrell‘s latest is this Spanish language drug war comedy directed by Matt Piedmont. It gets its debut in front of Austin’s friendly (Spanish speaking?) SXSW crowd.

THE AGGRESSION SCALE
It’s teens vs. hitmen with a ton of cash on the line in Steven C. Miller‘s follow up to cult hit Automaton Transfusion.

MODUS ANOMALI
Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar returns with this story of man trying to save his family on a forest vacation.

V/H/S
It’s lo-def thrills galore in this found footage anthology from the talented likes of Ti West, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Joe Swanberg, David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, Gary Binkow, Brad Miska, and Roxanne Benjamin. We probably don’t have to tell you that this is not one you want to miss.

[REC]3 GENESIS
Paco Plaza is back (this time without co-director Jaume Balagueró who served as a creative producer) with the third part of the REC saga; this one set at a wedding.

JOHN DIES AT THE END
Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, and Paul Giamatti star in cult hero Don Coscarelli‘s (Bubba Ho-Tep) wacky drugged-out adventure.

GIRLS AGAINST BOYS
The aptly named Austin Chick (XX/XY) directs this meditative psychological thriller about two girls on a killing spree in New York.

INTRUDERS
Warm off its underwhelming TIFF premiere, Clive Owens stars in Juan Carlos Fresnadillo‘s much anticipated follow-up to 28 Weeks Later.

IRON SKY
It’s hard to say it quite lived up to its expectations at Berlin, but Timo Vuorensola‘s moon Nazi sci-fi farce is bound to find some fans in SX’s midnight crowd.

BLACK POND
Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe‘s slightly surreal docu-esque story of a family who bury a complete stranger had a people talking at Berlin.

FUNERAL KINGS
Kevin & Matthew McManus‘s debut feature is a promising tale of two altar boys and their wild adventures playing hooky. The fact that always hilarious Kevin Corrigan‘s name graces the cast sheet is a good sign.

SUN DON’T SHINE
Mumblecore actress Amy Seimetz (A Horrible Way to Die, The Off Hours) marks her feature directorial debut with this central Florida road trip mystery starring pals Kate Lyn Sheil, Kentucker Audley, and AJ Bowen.

ELECTRICK CHILDREN
Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, and Billy Zane star in Rebecca Thomas‘s story about a Mormon girl who is impregnated when she hears rock and roll for the first time.

THE LAST FALL
An ex-NFL journeyman struggles to adjust to life after football in this semi-autobiographical debut from ex-NFL player Matthey A. Cherry.

THALE
There’s a lot of anticipation for Norwegian Aleksander L. Nordaas‘s super indie folk-horror comedy involving crime scene cleaners.

SUNSET STORIES
Monique Curnen, Sung Kang, and Joshua Leonard star in Silas Howard and Ernesto Foronda‘s Justin Lin-produced story of an ex-couple scouring Los Angeles for lost medical marrow.

PAVILION
Tim Sutton‘s debut is this contemplative coming-of-ager about a boy in suburban Arizona.

SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS
Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern‘s innovative LCD Soundsystem concert-doc was a huge hit at Sundance.

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN
Malik Bendjelloul‘s docu about this lost 70s music icon won multiple awards at this year’s Sundance.

UPRISING: HIP HOP & THE LA RIOTS
Veteran documentarian Mark Ford takes a hard look at the LA Riots on the 20th anniversary of those dark days.

GRANDMA LO-FI: BASEMENT TAPES OF SIGRÍDUR NÍELSDÓTTIR
Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir‘s docu tells the story of the incredible 70 year-old Icelandic musician with the unpronounceable name.

Reprinted from Twitch

Ahhh, another snowy year at Sundance (particularly snowy this year) has come to a close. A lot of excellent films have been packed up in their canisters and sent to their new distributors. Even more will move along in the festival season, hoping to find a friendly home on some form of new-fangled download-to-your-alphanumeric-pager distro-strategy. But before these movies make it to screens of various sizes near you, I’d like to take you on a quick tour of all the titles I was able to catch this year. I’ve included my letter grade, a few words of what I thought, whether the film has yet to land distribution, and also my initial impression via my immediate tweet after seeing the film.

As you might notice, the films I saw at this year’s festival included a whole lot of B grades. Frankly, the quality of films this go-around was a bit lower than in past years. There weren’t a lot of bad films (I avoided both Lay the Favorite and Price Check after hearing rotten reports). It just seemed that filmmakers (or maybe the fest) was playing it a bit safe. While there are obvious exceptions (Compliance), no fewer than a dozen of the films I saw can be best summed up in one word: charming. I’ll avoid too deep of an analysis on this trend as to the role of the economic downturn or the perception that distributors are avoiding challenging films. But it is safe to say that this trend led to a generally less risky batch of films — and therefore a generally less rewarding crop. But there were certainly some gems to be found amongst the rhinestones. Now, here are my thoughts:

28 HOTEL ROOMS – Next – My Grade: B

28 HOTEL ROOMS is a mostly successful experiment; an interesting yet ultimately limited way to tell a love story. Messina great.
This story of a long term affair takes place over a number of years, exclusively in the hotel rooms that the affair goes down in. It’s pretty indie, but it works, mostly on the strength of Chris Messina. No need to rush out and see it but it will probably do a decent turn on pay cable.

ABOUT THE PINK SKY – World Dramatic Competition – My Grade: B

Keiichi Kobayashi’s moody B&W Japanese school girl drama ABOUT THE PINK SKY might be too small a story for many to really connect.
I wasn’t particularly impressed by this somewhat mundane story that employs a heavy handed style to the detriment of its narrative.
My Review of ABOUT THE PINK SKY

AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY – US Docu Competition – My Grade: B

This doc chronicling the controversial career of Chinese activist/artist Ai Weiwei is a pretty by the book doc about an incredibly anti-establishment artist. It is well worth watching for anyone interested in modern art or Chinese politics – but there’s no harm waiting to watch it at home (no theatrical plans yet, anyway).

THE AMBASSADOR – World Docu Competition – My Grade: B

THE AMBASSADOR is a fascinating look at corruption in Africa (shocker!) if you can stomach the “performance art” of Mads Brügger.
There is no doubt that it is pretty fascinating to see this white Danish dude work his way through the layers of corrupt African bureaucracy, but I couldn’t help asking myself if he was doing it to make a political statement, or just to say, “hey look how stupid these people are.”

ARBITRAGE – Premieres – My Grade: B+

ARBITRAGE is excellently written/directed/performed thriller about wealthy privilege. Might Gere be thinking about statues?
I really enjoyed this financial thriller that is far more thriller than it is financial. Instead of focusing on the details of the finance plot, Jarecki spends time making the story and characters interesting. The film sold to Lionsgate/Roadside for $3M.
My Review of ARBITRAGE

BACHELORETTE – Premieres – My Grade: B

BACHELORETTE is a wilder more hit/miss Bridesmaids. Isla Fischer is great. It’s also the PARTY DOWN mini sequel. Casey+Henry4eva!
It’s almost funny just how obviously this film is going after the Bridesmaids crowd. It mostly disappoints but there are some pretty funny moments, especially Isla Fisher’s reee-diculously dumb character who rivals Inspector Clouseau in idiocy at times.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: A

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is the kind of remarkable film that rekindles your passion for independent cinema. Pure magic.
Without a doubt, my favorite film of the fest, this beautifully whimsical film is a must see when it comes to a theater near you from Fox Searchlight ($1M), likely sometime next fall.

My Review of BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

BLACK ROCK – Midnight – My Grade: B-

Katie Aselton’s survival-thriller follow-up to The Freebie needed a lot more comedy and another script pass. It did, however, sell to LD Entertainment for $1M+.

My Review of BLACK ROCK

CALIFORNIA SOLO – Premieres – My Grade: B

CALIFORNIA SOLO is a sweet but forgettable tale of an aging rocker dealing with all kinds of aging rocker problems.
Robert Carlyle plays an over-the-hill rocker with an immigration problem almost as bad as his drinking problem in this respectable little indie that won’t likely make more than a ripple.

CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER – Premieres – My Grade: B+

CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER is a heartwarming contemporary romcom with plenty of laughs, well deserving of a strong distributor.
I rather liked this very commercial rom-com starring Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones that Sony Pictures Classic (odd choice?) bought for $2M. It should make some good late summer counter programming.

COMPLIACE – Next – My Grade: B

Feel like a survivor after COMPLIANCE. Extremely uncomfortable. I hated experience of watching it but am starting to respect it.
This was, without a doubt, the most controversial film of the festival. When all is said and done, Compliance will likely be the film that we remember from Sundance 2012 (along with Beasts and The Surrogate). It is the kind of extremely tough film that requires you to continually remind yourself, “this is a true story.” That’s simply the only excuse for the filmmaker to put the audience through such an ordeal. Magnolia has signed on for an undisclosed amount to bring it to screens of some sort in the next year or so.

THE END OF LOVE – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: B

THE END OF LOVE may be the Mark Webber show, but it’s his 2 year-old son who steals the spotlight. Yet another Sundance charmer.
The story here is all about Webber “directing” his son (or rather the scenes around his son) to tell a very competent and touching story – even if it feels a bit manufactured at times.

FILLY BROWN – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: A

FILLY BROWN is exactly the hard hittin hip-hop drama I hoped. Gina Rodriguez straight kicks ass. Sundance must see!
I loved Youssef Delara and Michael Olmos’s hard hitting hip hop story. Huge congrats to the guys. I seriously hope this one finds a good distributor soon.

THE FIRST TIME – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: B

THE FIRST TIME is a very talky teen romance. While not always 100% sincere, in the end it works. It’s, wait for it… charming.
The tweet says it all. There are a whole lot of scenes of teens sitting around talking about falling for each other – but ultimately the performances by Dylan O’Brien and Britt Robertson win us over.

FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL – Premieres – My Grade: B+

FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL is the smart & silly girl power raunch-com you’ve been waiting for. Perfect summer counter programming.
I had a lot of fun with this film about girls starting a phone sex business, mostly on the strength of stars Lauren Milller and Ari Graynor. Focus liked what they saw, buying worldwide rights to the film for $3M.

HELLO I MUST BE GOING – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: B

HELLO I MUST BE GOING is an ultra charming comic romance, best in its comic moments. Great direction & Melanie Lynskey is a star.
Todd Louiso’s awkward comedy is pretty funny but runs a bit too long in its more sincere moments. Melanie Lynskey does a fantastic job in a role that seems like it was written for her (it wasn’t).

I AM NOT A HIPSTER – Next – My Grade: B

I don’t have a lot to say about this heartfelt indie about a rocker who just isn’t that likable as a protagonist. This might the film from Sundance 2012 that I forget first.

THE IMPOSTER – World Docu Competition – My Grade: B+

THE IMPOSTER is a truly stranger than fiction docu, ripe for remake. Wondering if the extreme stylization adds to the intrigue?
This is a fascinating docu that is super stylized and well worth tracking down if it ever makes it to a screen near you – more likely on demand than in a theater.

KID-THING – Next – My Grade: C+

The Zellner Bros’ KID-THING has some wonderfully mundane humor but too much of the plot fails to resonate to ultimately recommend.
While those mundane moments of goat milking are fantastic, I just couldn’t get on board with the central plot of a little girl riding around being a spoiled brat.

LIBERAL ARTS – Premieres – My Grade: B+

LIBERAL ARTS is an episodic but heartfelt film abt feeling adult. Radnor def has a gooey center but I’m starting to root for him.
LIBERAL ARTS perfs: Jenkins (duh) & Zac Effron (rly?) particularly great. Janney & Radnor solid. Real story is Lizze Olsen is the weak link.
Josh Radnor didn’t exactly win me over with Happythankyoumoreplease. But his sophomore effort shows a lot of promise, mostly on the strength of its supporting performances (except, sadly, a pretty weak Lizzie Olsen). The film sold to IFC for just north of $1M.

NOBODY WALKS – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: B

NOBODY WALKS is a small somewhat pessimistic view of love & relationships. Like the LA love but not a particularly memorable film.
Another Sundance indie that no one needs to rush out and see, Ry Russo-Young’s John Krasinski/Olivia Thirlby/Rosemarie DeWitt drama is, unfortunately, not as good as that cast deserves. Magnolia saw something they liked, however, buying the film for mid to high six figures.

RED LIGHTS – Premieres – My Grade: C

If you accept a world where magicians are criminally persecuted for faking tricks, RED LIGHTS is still a mediocre genre thriller.
As if to confirm that Robert De Niro is allergic to decent films, Rodrigo Cortes’s Buried follow-up was my least favorite film of the fest, mainly because it just feels like a failure of execution by Cortes. It seems like he just didn’t understand what the writer was trying to do (the film is written by Rodrigo Cortes). Just to lock in my impression of the company, Millennium Entertainment bought the film for one of the highest totals of the fest: $4M.

ROBOT AND FRANK – Premieres – My Grade: B+

Yes, it’s another “charming” Sundance film, but this Alfred P. Sloan winning near-future dementia dramedy is a great film because of tight writing and fantastic performances by Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, and the voice of Peter Sarsgaard. Sony/Samuel Goldwyn picked up the film for $2M and change.

ROOM 237 – New Frontiers – My Grade: B+

ROOM 237 has some pretty incredible theories about THE SHINING. Some are wacko but film nerds will love it.
This isn’t necessarily an expertly crafted docu, but the crazy theories professed by the Kubrick/The Shining scholars interviewed, make this one of the most entertaining films of the festival.

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: A-

Adored SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED! A heartfelt & hilarious love story w/ perfect amount of wackiness, awesome cast, & a great script.
This wacky little sci-fi-ish comedy was one of my top films this year. Both Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass are great, but the funniest part, for me, was Jake Johnson. This one is going to get a release from Film District after their $1M+ purchase.

SAVE THE DATE – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: C+

Not even a the stellar cast of Lizzy Caplan, Allison Brie, Martin Starr, and Mark Webber could elevate this rom-com that just never gets the audience involved with any of its characters.

SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS – Midnight – My Grade: A-

LCD Soundsystem’s SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS is a near perfect concert doc w/ many cool narrative elements & a slammin performance.
I loved both the rocking performances and the innovative storytelling and editing in my favorite docu of the fest. Check out the review (also my favorite of the fest).

My Review of SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS

THE SURROGATE – US Dramatic Competition – My Grade: B+

THE SURROGATE is certainly a touching tale. Hawkes (& Hunt) are incredible, but don’t think I’m quite ther on Best Pic Oscar buzz.
Fox Searchlight took home the biggest sale of the fest with this $6M buy. Hawkes seems pretty damned likely to see awards buzz but I just don’t feel the story goes on enough of a journey to quite be considered a home run. There wasn’t a ton of buzz, but William H. Macy deserves some serious kudos as well.

UNDER AFRICAN SKIES – Docu Premieres – My Grade: B

Joe Berlinger’s Paul Simon Graceland doc UNDER AFRICAN SKIES is an interesting & music-filled chronicle of the album’s birth.
Joe Berlinger’s journey with Paul Simon through the history of his album Graceland is a great history lesson for music fans but fails to really get on top of the racial issues it tries a bit too hard to tackle.

V/H/S – Midnight – My Grade: B+

V/H/S is a bunch of very good filmmakers having fun with a particular medium. Even w/o coordination, interesting themes emerge.
More than anything, the filmmakers involved with this found footage anthology subscribe to my favorite precept of horror filmmaking: Make it Fun! Magnolia/Magnet agreed, picking up the film for $1M+. This couldn’t be a better match.

My Review of V/H/S

WISH YOU WERE HERE – World Dramatic Competition – My Grade: B

WISH YOU WERE HERE is a tense relationship drama w/ a crime plot backdrop. Fantastic performances although a few plot shortcuts.
There are some unfortunate problems with Kieran Darcy-Smith’s drama – but they’re not because of the performances by Joel Edgerton, Felicity Price, or Teresa Palmer. Entertainment One picked up the film for an undisclosed sum.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS – Spotlight – My Grade: B

True, Andrea Arnold’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS is no FISH TANK, but still fair bit to like, in particular the emotionally charged editing
I finally got a chance to see Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank follow-up. It’s not particularly entertaining and it’s hard to like the characters, but it’s an interesting adaptation of a book I have no interest in reading.

YOUR SISTER’S SISTER – Spotlight – My Grade: A-

Great performances & a smile-inducing story make Lynn Shelton’s YOUR SISTER’S SISTER is a wonderfully worthy follow up to Humpday.
Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, and Rosemarie De Witt give excellent and fun performances in this somewhat stage play-esque story with plenty of laughs and plenty of heart. IFC has been on top of this one since TIFF.

Some of the notable films I didn’t catch were Antonio Campos’s mostly praised thriller SIMON KILLER which sold to IFC, James Ponsoldt’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead starring sober-up drama SMASHED, Eugene Jarecki’s War On Drugs Grand Prize Doc winning THE HOUSE I LIVE IN, and Mike Birbiglia’s Best of Next winning SLEEPWALK WITH ME.

A final word of mention for the two Sundance 2012 films I came in having seen The Raid, and Oslo, August 31st. Both films are excellent. Both films were in my Top 10. Both films deserve an A. Go see ‘em.

It’s time again to reprint my Twitch Sundance Previews in one easy to scroll through place. Be sure to check out all the originals and lots of reviews and wraps at TwitchFilm.com

 
Sundance 2012 Preview: Dramatic Competitions
Sundance 2012 Preview: Documentaries
Sundance 2012 Preview: Premieres & Spotlight
Sundance 2012 Preview: Midnight & Next
Sundance 2012 Preview: Short Films

 
To kick things off, we’ll be taking a look at a few of the notable films from each of the Dramatic Competition sections. It’s the nature of Sundance (especially the competition sections) to be a bit of a crapshoot guessing at which films will be the hits. Who would have guessed it would be Like Crazy not Little Birds or Another Earth instead of Another Happy Day that would get Park City buzzing last year. We’ll have wall to wall coverage of everything buzzing this year. For now, here are a few films that caught our eyes.

On to the Dramatic Competition.

SAVE THE DATE
With a cast that includes Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, Mark Webber, Geoff Arend, and Melonie Diaz, this indie romantic comedy about love on the rebound from director Michael Mohan (One Too Many Mornings) has all the marks of a Sundance hit waiting to pop off.

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED
To say Mark Duplass is a popular man around Park City is to sell the talented filmmaker/comedian short. At this year’s festival alone, Duplass has two starring credits, three producing jobs, and one writer nod. One of those starring roles is alongside Aubrey Plaza, Kristen Bell, and Jeff Garlin in director Colin Trevorrow‘s feature debut about magazine employees who investigate a classified ad regarding Time Travel.

FILLY BROWN
Youssef Delara (English as a Second Language) and Michael D. Olmos have teamed up to direct this story of a young Latina hip-hop artist struggling to come up in LA’s Echo Park neighborhood. Newcomer Gina Rodriguez stars alongside such Latino heavyweights as Lou Diamond Phillips and Edward James Olmos (father of director Michael).

SMASHED
Indie sweetheart Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as a woman trying to sober up in James Ponsoldt‘s relationship drama about a couple whose marriage revolves around the bottle.

NOBODY WALKS
Ry Russo-Young has got herself some mean Mumblecore cred after co-starring in Joe Swanberg‘s Hannah Takes the Stairs and Alex Ross Perry‘s The Color Wheel. That Tiny Furniture writer/director Lena Dunham has teamed up to co-write Russo-Young’s latest directorial effort only ups the ante. The movie stars Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Dylan McDermott, and Rosemarie DeWitt in this tale of (get this) romance in LA’s Silver Lake neighborhood.

THE COMEDY
I’m really not sure what to expect from Rick Alverson‘s Brooklyn hipster comedy that stars indie vet Kate Lyn Sheil (Silver Bullets, The Color Wheel, You’re Next, Green) alongside Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (yep, that Tim & Eric!).

THE SURROGATE
Ben Lewin‘s coming of age story of a 38 year-old man confined to an iron lung has one hell of a cast led by John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, and William H. Macy.

WRONG
Quentin Dupieux follows up his quirky hit Rubber with this story of a man searching for his lost dog, encountering a pizza-delivering nymphomaniac, a jogging-addict, a French Mexican gardener, and a pet detective along the way. Jack Plotnick, Steve Little, and William Fichtner star.

ABOUT THE PINK SKY
Keiichi Kobayashi directs Sundance’s lone feature contribution from Japan; a black and white story of a school girl who finds a wallet loaded with yen.

FATHER’S CHAIR
Luciano Moura (Nascimento from the Elite Squad films) stars as a man traveling across Brazil in search of his runaway son.

WISH YOU WERE HERE
Animal Kingdom and Warrior star Joel Edgerton stars as a man struggling to cope with a friend’s disappearance in Kieran Darcy-Smith‘s nonlinear feature debut.

THE LAST ELVIS
Armando Bo‘s feature debut tells the story of a Buenos Aires Elvis impersonator (played by real life Elvis impersonator John McInerny) coming to grips with the truth that he might not really be The King.

MY BROTHER THE DEVIL
Sally El Hosaini directs her debut feature about two brothers struggling to find their way in London’s Arab gangland.

DETROPIA
Jesus Camp, Boys of Baraka, and 12th & Delaware directors Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady return to Park City with this docu about the decay of America’s Motor City.

CHASING ICE
Jeff Orlowski chronicles National Geographic photographer James Balog’s attempt to visually capture climate change by photographing Earth’s shrinking glaciers. This one is sure to have some stunning cinematography.

THE INVISIBLE WAR
This Film is Not Yet Rated director Kirby Dick‘s latest is an exposé on sexual assault and rape in the US Military. Hide your children, hide your wife.

THE OTHER DREAM TEAM
This docu directed by the producer of Douchebag and Like Crazy chronicles the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic Basketball team.

THE HOUSE I LIVE IN
Eugene Jarecki told the tale of the Military Industrial Complex in his docu Why We Fight. His latest takes a hard hitting look at the War on Drugs.

THE ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA
Don Argott and Sheena Joyce‘s (director and producer of The Art of the Steal) doc based on a book by Kelly McMasters examines the effects of nuclear energy in the US and those living in the shadows of the silos.

THE AMBASSADOR
Mads Brugger snuck into North Korea with a pair of Danish-Korean comedians to expose the government’s fascist hypocrisy in 2010′s Sundance World Docu Competition winning The Red Chapel. In his latest, Brugger heads to central Africa on a purchased diplomatic passport to see just how much money can buy in a deeply corrupt economy.

THE IMPOSTER
Family members question the identity of a boy who is found in Spain three and a half years after going missing from San Antonio, Texas in Bart Layton‘s doc.

CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT
Up the Yangtzee director Yung Chang is back with this documentary about rural Chinese boxers.

INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE
Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky take a look at the world of indie game developers in their debut feature.

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP
Rapper/actor Ice-Tt and filmmaker Andy Baybutt teamed up to make this docu chronicling the history of hip-hop, featuring Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Caz, Nas, Mos Def, Eminem, Chuck D, KRS-One, Run-DMC, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg.

UNDER AFRICAN SKIES
West Memphis Three doc trilogy Paradise Lost director Joe Berlinger headed to South Africa with Paul Simon on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the release of his seminal Graceland in order to examine the impact of that album on apartheid and the birth of a nation.

WEST OF MEMPHIS
Amy Berg turns from sexual abuse by priests in her Oscar nom’d Deliver Us From Evil to one of the most controversial crimes in years in her West Memphis Three chronicle.

BONES BRIGADE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Stacy Peralta‘s last doc Crips and Blood: Made in America tackled a tough subject and failed to piece it all together in a cohesive way. With his fourth film, Peralta returns to the light hearted subject matter that made his first two films (Dogtown and Z-Boys and Riding Giants) so successful. This film focuses on the skateboarding crew that Peralta helped build in the skateboarding explosion of the 1980s – including: Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, and Rodney Mullen.

ARBITRAGE
Nicholas Jarecki directs Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, and Brit Marling (she’s baaack!) in this thriller set in the high stakes world of hedge fund management.

FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL
Ari Graynor and Lauren Ann Miller play two girlfriends who move in together and start a secret business in Jamie Travis‘s feature directorial debut. Justing Long, Mark Webber, and Seth Rogen co-star.

LAY THE FAVORITE
Stephen Frears (The Queen) returns to the place he launched 1991′s The Grifters with this big cast sports book romantic comedy starring Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hall Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Joshua Jackson.

PRICE CHECK
Parker Posey plays a manically ambitious grocery store manager in this Michael Walker comedy. Eric Mabius and Sundance rock star Josh Pais co-star.

RED HOOK SUMMER
Clarke Peters (of The Wire and Treme fame) stars in this multi-generational dramedy from none other than Spike Lee.

LIBERAL ARTS
Actor/director Joshua Radnor follows up falling in love with Kate Mara in Happythankyoumoreplease by falling in love with Lizzie Olsen in this sophomore effort. Richard Jenkins and Zac Effron co-star.

CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER
Rashida Jones co-wrote (with Will McCormack) and stars alongside Andy Samberg, Chris Messina, Ari Graynor, Emma Roberts, and Elijah Wood in Lee Toland Krieger‘s (The Vicious Kind) relationship comedy.

BACHELORETTE
Leslye Headlund makes her directorial debut with this knot-tying comedy featuring an all-star cast of Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, Isla Fischer, James Marsden, and Adam Scott.

THE WORDS
Bradley Cooper plays a plagiarizing writer in Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal‘s psychological drama co-starring Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, and Zoe Saldana.

RED LIGHTS
Rodrigo Cortes made a splash at Sundance two years ago with Buried. He returns with this supernatural thriller starring Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Lizzie Olsen, and Toby Jones.

PREDISPOSED
Jesse Eisenberg killed it as a drug dealing Hassidic Jew in the woefully underappreciated 2010 Sundance dud Holy Rollers. Now he’s back as a drug dealing piano prodigy in Philip Dorling and Ron Nyswaner‘s comedy co-starring Melissa Leo, Tracy Morgan, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.

THE RAID
You’ve heard plenty about it – and if you are at Sundance then you are in for a real treat. Gareth Evans‘s Indonesian actioner will kick Park City in the head with its nonstop silat swinging martial arts. Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, and Yayan Ruhian star. Don’t fear, rest of the world. Your chance to see one of the best action movies in decades is coming very soon.

YOUR SISTER’S SISTER
Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Mark Duplass star in Lynn Shelton’s TIFF hit follow-up to Humpday.

OSLO, AUGUST 31ST
Joachim Trier‘s Anders Danielsen Lie starring Reprise follow-up about addiction is, without a doubt, a masterpiece.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS
People have been expecting amazing things out of Andrea Arnold after 2010′s sleeper Fish Tank. But people haven’t been saying too many amazing things about her adaptation of Emily Bronte’s classic. The fact it was accepted to Sundance is a good sign.

WHERE DO WE GO NOW
Nadine Labaki‘s Caramel follow-up about women banding together for peace in Lebanon was that country’s Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Feature.

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE
It seems like there was more buzz over the weird stills that came out of Paolo Sorrentino‘s Sean Penn-as-aging-80s-rocker drama than from the actual movie when it premiered at Cannes. Now Sundance audiences will get a chance to make up their own minds.

V/H/S
Certainly one of our very most anticipated films of the festival, this anthology of found footage horror includes segments directed by Adam Wingard, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, David Bruckner, Joe Swanberg, and Ti West and features performances by most of those guys along with Sophia Takal, Kate Lyn Sheil, Calvin Reeder, and Lane Hughes. Can’t wait!

JOHN DIES AT THE END
Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, and Doug Jones star in legendary Bubba Ho-Tep director Don Coscarelli‘s interdimensional horror-drug-adventure-comedy.

BLACK ROCK
Katie Aselton follows-up her relationship comedy The Freebie with this remote island thriller written by hubby Mark Duplass and starring Kate Bosworth and Lake Bell alongside her.

THE PACT
Caity Lotz and Casper Van Dien star in Nicholas McCarthy‘s feature follow-up to last year’s haunted house hit short.

SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS
Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace direct this doc chronicling the final concerts by LCD Soundsystem. Turn. It. Up.

EXCISION
Richard Bates‘s feature debut is a psycho-sexual teen comedy about an outcast teenage girl out to pop her cherry. The film stars AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, and (wait for it…) John Waters.

GRABBERS
Jon Wright‘s Irish madcap drunken fishing monster flick looks like a classic midnight rollicker.

TIM & ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE
Oh boy. Love’ em or hate ‘em, Tim & Eric are certainly one (err, two) of a kind. Their first feature, B$M, promises to be a movie.

KID-THING
The Zellner Bros. of Red Vs. Blue and Fantastic Debates fame have written, directed, (David) produced, and shot (Nathan) this indie about a mischievous girl who finds a woman stuck down a well.

COMPLIANCE
Craig Zobel made a splash a few years ago with his part-reality/part-scripted The Great World of Sound. He returns with this fast-food restaurant interrogation drama starring Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, and Pat Healy (of The Innkeepers fame).

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
Carrie Preston (Arlene from True Blood) directs Anne Heche in this female driven comedy.

28 HOTEL ROOMS
Chris Messina and Marin Ireland star as love-struck adulterers in Matt Ross‘s mosaic-like debut feature.

I AM NOT A HIPSTER
Find out what happens when a misanthropic indie musician gets a surprise visit from his three sisters and estranged father in Destin Daniel Cretton‘s feature debut.

It’s Such A Beautiful Day

Moving Stories

Here is a reprint of the SLAMDANCE Preview I ran on Twitch before the festival. Be sure to also check out Andy’s Awesome Round Up from the fest.

Sundance ain’t the only film game in town during Utah’s busiest week of the year. Our Park City Preview Week wraps up today with a look at what’s in store from the Slamdance Film Festival.

We had a chance to speak briefly with Slamdance co-founder and president Peter Baxter. We asked Mr. Baxter for his thoughts on about the competition slate:

 

“The documentary and narrative competitions are very strong this year. In many ways both represent the dramatic times in which we currently live. The filmmakers have drawn inspiration from the daily challenges of life that has provided a great sense of innovation and experimentation. It’s exciting because you are left thinking these emerging filmmakers really are leading us into the next wave of indie film.”

 
While it often plays second fiddle to the much larger Sundance fest, Slamdance is a great opportunity for the smallest of the small independent films to find an audience. Mark Jackson‘s Without from last year’s fest is the perfect example of such a film. Audiences raved about the film, giving particular kudos to star Joslyn Jensen‘s performance. Critics took note, and the film showed up on many year-end best of lists. What will be this year’s Without? Here are a few of candidates that caught our attention:

DOPPELG ÄNGER PAUL (OR A FILM ABOUT HOW MUCH I HATE MYSELF)
This oddball comedy directed by Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand tells the story of a middle aged dude who forges a relationship with a man he believes to be his doppelganger.

BINDLESTIFFS
Andrew Edison‘s farce about three virgins who are suspended from high school and head to the inner city to “attempt to live out the plot of The Catcher in the Rye – a book they neither have read nor understand,” promises to be one of the funniest offerings of the fest.

ROLLER TOWN
Canadian comedian Andrew Bush‘s feature directorial debut is this wacky sounding adventure about a group of roller skaters who team up to stop the mob from installing video games in their roller rink.

I WANT MY NAME BACK
Whatever happened to The Sugarhill Gang (you know, Rapper’s Delight)? Find out in Roger Paradiso‘s doc about one of hip-hop’s pioneering acts.

DANLAND
Alexandra Berger follows ‘Porno Dan’ on his three year odyssey to build his adult movie empire in this feature debut documentary.

WE ARE LEGION: THE STORY OF THE HACKTIVISTS
Brian Knappenberger takes into the bowels of Anonymous and their 4Chan beginnings in this look at the intersection of civil disobedience and hacker culture.

NEIL YOUNG JOURNEYS
Fresh from its premiere at TIFF, Jonathan Demme‘s road-trip-with-Neil-Young doc will screen at the Slam along with a special conversation over coffee with both the luminaries.

WITH GREAT POWER: THE STAN LEE STORY
Demme and Young aren’t the only celebs on hand for the Slam. Stan Lee is also talking over coffee about his illustrious career and this Slamdance doc by Will Hess, Nikki Frakes, and Terry Dougas.

NO ROOM FOR ROCKSTARS
Director Parris Patton hits the road with The Warped Tour to tell the story of some of the musicians who undergo this grueling tour for the fun and the fame.

UNCONDITIONAL
This narrative feature by Bryn Higgins tells the story of 16 year-old British twins who fall for the same strange man in his 20s. A darkly comic psycho-romance ensues.

WILD IN THE STREETS
Sean Bean narrates this documentary by Peter Baxter about an English town that spends two days each year playing a game that dates back to medieval times where half the town has to get a ball from one side of the town, 3 miles to the other team’s goal. No holds barred.

It is time again for what has become an annual tradition here at enderzero.net: My end of year Best Of movie post. In years past I’ve created some version of a Top 10 (see: 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 ). 2011 brought a considerably more active year of film festival attendance via my role at Twitch. I was lucky enough to put in serious film viewing time at Sundance, LA Film Fest, Toronto, Fantastic Fest, and AFI Fest. Therefore, I’ve decided to expand things a bit this year and bring you my 50 Beautiful Films from 2011 (and 5 Ugly Ones). I’ve included a few words about each film along with my original impression of the film via my first tweet after seeing it. You’ll also find a link to my full review if one was written. As always, I look forward to your comments below.

50. Hobo with a Shotgun – Jason Eisener’s bloody Rutger Hauer extravaganza sneaks onto the list because of how gut-blasting fun it was to see this movie as one fo the film’s first audiences at Sundance. It’s bloody, ridiculous, and hilarious – in my opinion the perfect midnight flick.
“Hobo With a Shotgun more than delivers on everything it promises. Blood, guts, gore, & ridiculous laughs. Full commitment.”
My Review of Hobo with a Shotgun at Twitch

49. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within – Another Sundance film clocks in at #49 with the sequel to 2007′s Elite Squad. While this Brazilian actioner has more politics than the original, there are still plenty of guns blazing and the political intrigue only serves to add depth to the world and especially Wagner Moura’s towering Lt. Col. Nascimento.
“Elite Squad 2 is a truly awesome Brazilian actioner. Padilha went more political than the 1st = less action – but def a success.”
My Review of Elite Squad: The Enemy Within at Twitch

48. The Day – I was a huge fan of the world created by writer Luke Passmore in his post-apocalyptic actioner. Yes, this is a super low budget movie which is pretty obvious from the painfully poor CGI – but it is an excellent script with very competent performances. I’m very much looking forward to the next portion of the story.
“THE DAY is an excellent post apocalyptic actioner on a tiny budget. Lookin fwd to big things from new talent Luke Passmore.”
My Review of The Day at Twitch

47. The Invader – Nicolas Provost’s Belgian immigrant drama is a stunning debut with halting visuals and performance from lead Isaka Sawa. This little film is definitely worth seeking out.
“Nicolas Provost to top of my directors to watch list w/ his strikingingly personal tale THE INVADER. Whatta perf by Isaka Sawadogo.”

46. Perfect Sense – There hasn’t been a whole lot of love shown for David Mackenzie’s Ewan McGregor/Eva Green high concept love story. I was a fan at Sundance and hope it finds an audience when it opens stateside February 10th.
“Perfect Sense is a love story that completely commits to its very high concept. A lot to like – though maybe not for everyone.”
My Review of Perfect Sense at Twitch

45. The Adventures of Tintin – Yes it runs a bit long, but I pretty strongly believe this animated feast for the senses is Spielberg’s best film in years, if for no other reason than it is so damn fun.
“ADVENTURES OF TINTIN is part video game, part rollercoaster, & a whole lot of fun. A bit long perhaps, but a true visual feast.”

44. Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope – Morgan Spurlock might be on to something with his latest docu focusing on the cult of fandom around SDCC. The key: he isn’t the film’s focus. Instead we get a very interesting portrait of some odd but compelling characters.
“Morgan Spurlock’s COMIC-CON doc is his best, most human film. It also has the least Morgan yet. Hmm.”
My Review of Comic-Con at Twitch

43. Young Adult -Sharp writing and fantastic performances carved out a T50 spot for Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody’s latest coupling. I might have hoped it would be a bit higher on the list, but it was Patton Oswalt’s showing that made sure the film wasn’t just an honorable mention.
“Propel’d by Chalize Theron & Patton Oswalt’s performances, YOUNG ADULT is a mature work that excels at creating mostly enjoyable discomfort.”

42. The Lady – Luc Besson’s Aung San Suu Kyi biopic moved me in Toronto and grabs spot #42 for its emotional resonance, stellar performances, and beautiful cinematography.
“THE LADY is a heartwrenching tale of devotion with superb acting from Michelle Yeoh & David Thewlis. Magnificent job by Besson.”

41. The Ides of March – It’s hard to imagine a film starring Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, and George Clooney not making a best-of list, even if this political drama lacked the little bit of spark needed to propel it from stage adaptation to Best Picture contender.
“Big fan of IDES OF MARCH. Compelling char driven political drama with awards ready performances & a plot that moves.”

40. Jeff Who Lives at Home – The Duplass Bros. continue to impress with their latest Jason Segel/Ed Helms two hander. While it kinda feels like the guys just went out and shot the movie one afternoon, the end result is pretty damn funny from beginning to end and a definite feel good film.

39. Sleepless Night – Frederic Jardin’s French cop flick takes place over one evening in a night club. Kind of like an action version of Noises Off, characters come and go through the same locations, nearly missing each other on many occasions. A simple concept but executed brilliantly with a star making role by lead actor Tomer Sisley, even the tacked on feeling conclusion can’t stop the film from being a big success.
“SLEEPLESS NIGHT is a polished French actioner w/ solid fight seqs & a good story. Great intensity but could lose few mins.”

38. Martha Marcy May Marlene – Sean Durkin’s debut will likely be remembered less for its Sundance buzz or minor box office success for Fox Searchlight, and more for launching the career of the seriously talented Lizzie Olsen. Her role as the emotionally damaged cult escapee left me reeling. As always, John Hawkes puts in a stellar performance as well.

37. Viva Riva! – Kinshasa is calling in the most polished crime thriller you’ve ever seen come out of The Congo, nay, all of Africa. Just check out the trailer for Djo Munga’s impressive debut here.

36. Pina – Wim Wenders’s love letter to modern dance choreographer Pina Bausch is, without a doubt, the best use of 3D I’ve ever seen. Wenders places his cameras at just the right vantage to capture the stunning dances in a way you could never imagine on a flat screen. With his variety of routines and voice-over cutaways that feature some of the most stunning backdrops I’ve ever seen, the film was able to keep me enthralled from start to finish. This is a remarkable film and a must see whether you are a fan of dance or not.

35. The Artist – This likely Best Picture nominee (winner?) had me smiling all the way through. Sure it is a bit gimmicky but the gimmick is executed to perfection and used to enhance the narrative instead of just put butts in seats. It’s not my favorite films of the year (it’s my 35th favorite), but I think it deserves the nom.
“Loudest applause I’ve ever heard at a film for Hazanavicius’s brilliant THE ARTIST. Its best Oscar bets likely actors.”

34. Your Highness – Surely the most controversial pick of my list so far, I was unapologetically delighted to tears by David Gordon Green’s medieval stoner fantasy. Sure not every joke works, but Danny McBride carries the film and it’s always fun to see Franco actually act stoned on purpose. To all those who hated this move, here’s a hint. Don’t see it sober.

33. The Corridor – Evan Kelly’s low budget cabin-in-the-woods thriller is part Stephen King and part Donnie Darko and really works because of its commitment to the premise that comes together so well at the film’s awesome conclusion.
“Wow. THE CORRIDOR is the first absolute must see of FantasticFest! Pass. It. On.”
My Review of The Corridor at Twitch

32. Somewhere Between – Linda Goldstein Knowlton’s LAFF identity docu about girls adopted from China and raised in America is a success because of how interesting the characters and subject matter are, but also because of the expert job of telling the stories of these four different girls with nothing in common other than their background, and putting it together into a perfectly digestible package. Bravo!

31. Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest – Michael Rapaport’s ATCQ doc comes in at #31 with its compelling look at one of the most influential hip hop groups of our time.

30. The Guard – While I wasn’t able to see John Michael McDonagh’s black crime comedy at Sundance, I’m glad I caught it when it finally rolled around this Fall. Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle turn in excellent performances and McDonagh’s writing is just as sharp as his brother Martin’s (In Bruges). This is the perfect rental if you missed it in theaters.
“Finally caught up with THE GUARD. Very funny & smart action comedy with a brilliant performance by Brendan Gleeson. Worth catching.”

29. Jiro Dreams of Sushi – David Gelb’s ode to raw fish (in particular, the man who is probably the most accomplished Sushi chef alive) is a wonderfully photographed and surprisingly compelling doc. Gelb nails the little details, taking us behind Jiro’s counter and inside Tsukiji market to great effect. But be careful, this film will make you extremely hungry.
“JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is a beautiful portrait of a master striving for perfection, well aware it doesn’t exist”

28. 13 Assassins – Takashi Miike’s samurai action extravaganza is probably his most accessible film to date and an easy pick for a high spot on my list.

27. Clown – This Danish slapstick comedy is so hilarious I had to see it twice in one week. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling any of the laughs, but make sure you seek it out when Drafthouse Films puts it out later this year, hopefully with all (private) parts intact.
“CLOWN is pure Danish hilarity with way more heart than I expected. One of my faves so far at FantasicFest.”

26. The Descendants – Alexander Payne’s latest has turned out to be a bit more divisive than I believed when I saw it at Toronto. It might not be his best, but Clooney is a worthy successor to the leading male throne previously occupied by Giamatti, Nicholson, and Broderick.
“THE DESCENDANTS is a superb drama in Payne’s signature comedic style. Lock for Best Pic nom and Actor nom for Clooney.”
My Review of The Descendants at Twitch

25. Magic Trip – I have yet to see an Alex Gibney doc I didn’t like. Enron, Eliot Spitzer, Jack Abramoff, and Hunter S. Thompson are a few of his more notable subjects. In Magic Trip, Gibney (alongside Alison Ellwood) turns his attention toward Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady, the Merry Pranksters, and the bus called Further. The job done to pour through the footage and turn it into this fascinating doc is seriously impressive. More than anything, it is just so cool to see these mythological figures come to life.
“Magic Trip is a must see for fans of Kesey, Cassady, and all merry pranksters. Gibney masterfully docus the birth of 60s counter culture.”

24. Bellflower – Now we are getting into the midst of the films really competing for Top 10 status. What else can I say about Evan Glodell’s debut feature (I called it the year’s biggest surprise in this Twitch piece)? You’re probably better off just reading my review below – which happens to be my favorite review I’ve written. To add to that I’ll just steal what I wrote in the Twitch piece and say, “the single most surprising part of the year of Bellflower, for me, is just how much the story has stayed with me. I find myself thinking about the blossoming of Woodrow and Milly’s love and its tragic demise all the time. It’s a surprise, but this is a truly great film.”
My Review of Bellflower at Twitch

23. The Innkeepers – Ti West’s haunted hotel horror-comedy won me over for its perfect combination of those two elements. The tweet really sums it up, but more than anything, this expertly put together film is just so damned fun.
“I see INNKEEPERS like a rollercoaster. Thrills & chills w/ a safety bar. More comedy than horror, thus a complete success.”

22. A Separation – Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian family drama is a beautifully nuanced story about 2 completely sympathetic characters torn apart by circumstances and stubbornness. It’s incredibly mature filmmaking and one of the most honest films of the year. That it is set in Iran only makes it more interesting.

21. You’re Next – I walked into my second Midnight screening at Toronto thinking there was no chance it would come close to being as awesome as my first, The Raid. I was wrong. Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s film is the home invasion genre turned on its head. Described by Todd Brown as Friday the 13th meets Home Alone, You’re Next asks what happens if the home being invaded happens to inhabit one badass babe (Sharni Vinson in this case). Like The Innkeepers (and any great Midnight flick), I loved this movie because more than anything, it’s fucking fun.
“Gigantic grin across every face in Ryerson after the home invasion thriller chiller major blood spiller YOU’RE NEXT!”

20. Attack the Block – Joe Cornish’s urban London alien invasion actioner gets all the action comedy beats right (obviously producer Edgar Wright knows a thing or two about that). With standout performances by the young cast, Attack the Block turned out to be one of the year’s biggest crowd pleasers.

19. Page One: Inside the New York Times – This year-in-the-life of the NY Times’s Media Desk journalists is fascinating as a snapshot of such a quickly changing media landscape. That David Carr is such an interesting character makes Andrew Rossi’s film one of the most engaging docs in years.
“Page One is a captivating doc about why journalism will always be important, even in the changing face of the media landscape.”

18. Sound of My Voice – It still surprises me that it was Another Earth that garnered Brit Marling so much attention at Sundance and not Zal Batmanglij’s considerably more engaging and better put together film which Marling also co-wrote. Maybe this one will make a bigger splash when it comes out later this year.

17. The Skin I Live In – I put off seeing Pedro Almodovar’s latest film for a few months because of relatively lukewarm reviews out of Toronto. So I was very pleasantly surprised by how engaging and batshit bonkers this film turned out to be when I finally got around to seeing it. Not to mention it is technically brilliant and simply a joy to look at.
“Almodovar’s THE SKIN I LIVE IN is a beautifully twisted story of love & obsession w/ frighteningly good performances. Sry I waited so long!”

16. Shame – Steve McQueen’s Michael Fassbender starring tale of addiction really struck a nerve for me. While it doesn’t make you feel good, it certainly makes you feel – long after the credits roll.

15. 50/50 – Jonathan Levine’s The Wackness has been one of my all-time fave’s since seeing it one cold Park City morning. It feels like it took forever, but it warms my heart to see his latest continues his string of excellent work. I’m excited to see what he and writer Will Reiser and producer Seth Rogen do with their next film, Jamaica
“50/50′s exceptional script & excellent cast hits all the right notes. Equal parts funny & touching. Levine is 3 for 3. Homerun 4 @SummitEnt”
My Review of 50/50 at Twitch

14. Beginners – Christopher Plummer’s role alone as the freshly out-of-the-closet geriatric is good enough to get this film a spot on the list. Director Mike Mills does a beautiful job of weaving the Ewan McGregor and Melanie Laurent love story into the father-son story, giving us a truly touching feature.
“Quite enjoyed BEGINNERS – a heartwarming love story w/ 1 minor flaw in its idealistically round corners. Plummer and Laurent deserve nods.”

13. Take Shelter – Pretty much any movie from here on out could be my favorite film of the year. It’s Michael Shannon that makes Jeff Nichols’s mental illness drama so resonant. I also think it’s important to point out that Nichols avoided the easy way out of making Shannon’s character simply deny he has a problem. Instead, he is completely aware that something in his head is fucked up, which makes the film all the more frightening.
“TAKE SHELTER a fascinating journey into a man’s soul. Brilliant filmmaking & acting. Exactly what I’d hoped to see.”

12. Win Win – Tom McCarthy is truly one of the most talented directors working today. The subtle emotion in his characters is something too often overlooked in most filmmaking. This is another example of taking a small story and making the audience care way too much about high school wrestling. Bobby Cannavale also gives one of the most underappreciated performances of the year.
“Win Win is a superbly acted family/sports drama. Another huge success for T. McCarthy – one of the best directors working today.”

11. The Interrupters – I’ll let my tweet speak for itself in the service of Steve James’s excellent documentary.
“The Interrupters is a brilliant & incredibly inspirational doc about people doing good. The only way to stop violence is to try.”

10. Natural Selection – Robbie Pickering’s SXSW sweeping coming-of-age road comedy between a barren middle aged church wife and her husband’s illegitimate son is equal parts hilarious and touching – and all parts marvelous.
My Review of Natural Selection at Twitch

9. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – This ultra-smart spy thriller is perfectly scripted by Peter Straughn and the late Bridget O’Connor and directed with inspirational detail by Let the Right One In‘s Tomas Alfredson. But the real masterpiece factor comes from the incredible performances by just about every amazing actor in Europe today; including: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, and the inimitable Benedict Cumberbatch. Best ensemble in a long time.
“TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY just made a strong play for my Top10. Look & music impeccable, cast ridiculously good, & a truly brilliant script.”

8. Super 8 – It has its detractors, sure, but J.J. Abrams take on what made the films of our youth so great took me exactly where I wanted to go and again made me believe in that magical quality of cinema.
“‘Super 8′ is mint condition summer fare. The kind of Amblin adventure I’ve been waiting since childhood to see. Tons of fun + tons of heart.”
My Review of Super 8 at Twitch

7. The Raid – The best action movie in decades was also one of the most exhilarating film watching experiences I’ve had in a long time. It was so cool to be part of the first audience to see the movie at the Midnight Ryerson Toronto screening, hooting and hollering with every head kick, the whole crowd well aware we were witnessing something that everyone would soon be freaking out about.
“Forget Tony Jaa, Jet Li & even Tom Hardy. THE RAID is the best action movie in decades! Gareth Evans & Iko Uwais FTW!”
My Review of The Raid at Twitch

6. Bullhead – Actor Matthias Schoenaerts and director Michael Roskam exploded onto the scene with this taut and touching crime story set in the Belgian bovine hormone trade underworld. Don’t fuck with Belgian farmers.
“Wow Wow Wow BULLHEAD! Wow Michael Roskam! Wow Matthias Schoenarts! Late to the party bus but taking a seat at the front.”

5. Like Crazy – The most buzzed about film at Sundance was also my favorite film I caught there. Drake Doremus’s long distance heart wrencher works so well because it so honestly depicts how hard we work to fool ourselves into thinking we can get back there again.
“Like Crazy is a more hopeful Blue Valentine – an incredibly honest look at love and distance. It is a MUST SEE.”

4. Melancholia – Rarely have I enjoyed a film so thoroughly with so little motivation to defend it. I simply accept this movie didn’t work for some people. Some people hate it. All I can say is that I was completely on board for every moment. Call it my unapologetic love for Kirsten Dunst, but I was transfixed by her performance, her world, and this film.
“Put me down in the huge-fucking-fan category for MELANCHOLIA. Thought it was brilliant even if it is long. Potential Top10.”

3. Oslo, August 31st – Joachim Trier moves up one spot from his #4 finish for Reprise on my 2008 Top 10. Watching this remarkable depiction of addiction with a stellar performance by Anders Danielsen Lie, I was suddenly struck with the precognition that Trier will someday be recognized amongst the most talented directors in Europe.
“OSLO, AUGUST 31ST is a beautiful, honest & unpretentious journey inside what it means to be a real person. Trier is a master.”
My Review of Oslo, August 31st at Twitch

2. Senna – Asif Kapadia has put together one incredible documentary with his chronicle of legendary Formula One racer Ayrton Senna. That that film is completely assembled from over 15,000 hours of archive footage makes it one of the most impressive projects ever completed. Knowing that a 6 hour cut exists out there is enough to make me feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Let us see it, Kapadia. Let us see it.
My Review of Senna at Twitch

1. Drive – The big numero uno is actually pretty easy for me this year. I knew the moment I walked out of Nicolas Refn’s Hollywood debut that this was going to be it. A second viewing only cemented its position. With the perfect of mix of tension and explosive action, Drive does absolutely everything right. Not only is this my favorite kind of movie, this is, without a doubt, my favorite film of the year.
“Refn’s DRIVE is stunningly beautifuly & shockingly intenese. If ur on board with the slow burn, u won’t want the ride to end.”
My Review of Drive at Twitch

With a list of 50 films it seems a bit unfair to list runners-up, but a few films that narrowly missed the list include Carre Blanc, Submarine, The Trip, On the Ice, and Crime After Crime. Notable movies I failed to see include A Dangerous Method, Margaret, Midnight in Paris, Tyrannosaur, and Le Havre. Now on to the fun part…

The Son of No One – Dito Montiel’s third feature certified the director as a hack, but piling on after the film’s anemic $30,000 box office on a $15,000,000 budget seems a bit mean. No, the real ugly of this movie belongs to the sales agent who mounted an aggressive campaign of lies after the films embarrassing Sundance press and industry screening. Although at least half the audience was gone by two-thirds of the way through, the sales rep claimed that only a few people walked out early, and all reports of a mass exodus towards the film’s conclusion were due to the projectionist making a mistake and bringing up the lights too early. Whoa! That didn’t happen at all. What took place could only be described as a mass exodus (of the few people who were left) and sarcastic applause from the scattering of people who stayed for one of the most bafflingly horrible conclusions in Sundance history (and there have been a lot of baffling conclusions at Sundance). No sales rep spin can detract from how terrible this movie really is.
“Son of No One is a real mess. Baffling character motivations & one of the worst endings I’ve seen. Big slump for Dito.”

Machine Gun Preacher – Not even a heroin addicted Michael Shannon could rescue this mess of a film from the ridiculous emotional manipulation, borderline racism, and rambling overstuffed plot. The one good thing about this film is that it cemented the number one slot on my list of overrated Hollywood directors for Mr. Marc Forster. I just wish he hadn’t dragged Chris Cornell down with him.
“MACHINE GUN PREACHER is just as bad as I feared. Typical manipulative H.wood drivel from Forster & way too long.”

Smuggler – I quote this from my Noble Failures piece on Twitch: Only one film this year made me so angry I actually questioned my decision to pursue a career in film. That film is Japanese director Katsuhito Ishii’s Smuggler. The story starts out quite promising with a pulpy yakuza crime feel involving two rather compelling assassins Vertebrae and Viscera. Unfortunately, about three-quarters into the film, Ishii takes a left turn into a very graphic and hard to stomach sequence of torture porn (yeah, I get that some people don’t like that term, but that’s what it is). The real crime is that Ishii is inflicting the pain on the protagonist we have spent the whole film learning to feel empathy for. Ishii isn’t saying anything about the torturer–he’s simply saying, “here’s how uncomfortable I can make you feel.” It’s disgusting and made me extremely angry–especially since I went in expecting the whimsy of Ishii’s wonderful film The Taste of Tea. Swing and a big miss.
“Rly disappointed w/ Ishii’s SMUGGLER. Perfectly good crime actioner ruined by more disgusting torture porn. Whats wrong ppl?”
My Review of Smuggler at Twitch

War Horse – Hoooo boy this movie was bad. From the “will the horse plow the field?” drama to the “will the horse walk to the crippled kid when he makes the clucking sound?,” this is manipulative Hollywood emotional drivel at its worst. What is so amazing is how many people fall for it. Next time, please at least tell us a story.
“WAR HORSE is one of those 2.5 hour movies that feels way longer. Zero substance. No character. Pure emotional drivel. Critics will love it.”

Hugo – Yep, I’ve saved the most controversial for last (that it narrowly bumped Warrior as most overrated film of the year will only ruffle more feathers). Well I’m sorry folks, but Scorsese’s love letter to silent cinema is manipulatively nostalgic and little else. I had some fun with the reenactment stuff towards the end, but no way does it justify the total failure of plot logic and character depth throughout. If the kid has been living in the station and fending for himself for so long, why is he so bad at it? If he has so many secret passages, why does he always bumble right into the path of the station guard? The kid should be wily. Instead he is pitiful. And why the hell is the old man so mean? Give the kid the drawings back! They’re his, for God’s sake! But it is just easier to paint these conveniences into the plot to make the artificial arc seem more dramatic. I say Bah! What’s worse is all the buzz over how this movie does something new for 3D (see: Pina). No, this is just the same layering and technological trickery masquerading as story.
“Not a fan of HUGO. Pretty pictures marred by poor writing that paints broad ugly strokes of characterization instead of int’rstng character.”
“HUGO fails by talking down to its young aud w/ illogical plot & forehead slapping dialog – unlike SUPER 8 & TINTIN, both better fam films.”

I look forward to your thoughts.

I’ve just finished my AFI Fest 2011 Preview Series over at Twitch consisting of three 10 to Watch features. Check them out with the links below and don’t forget to let me know if you’re heading to the fest!

Twitch’s AFI Fest 2011 Preview: 10 to Watch – Galas & Specials

Twitch’s AFI Fest 2011 Preview: 10 to Watch – World Cinema

Twitch’s AFI Fest 2011 Preview: 10 to Watch – New Auteurs, Young Americans & Midnighters

I’ve also got my interview with AFI Festival heads Jacqueline Lyanga and Lane Kneedler up on Twitch. Check it out here:
AFI Fest 2011: Twitch Chats with Jacqueline Lyanga and Lane Kneedler

Top 10 films you should see at AFIFest that I’ve already seen
10. Kill List
9. Carre Blanc
8. I Melt With You
7. Beyond the Black Rainbow
6. The Lady
5. Shame
4. The Artist
3. Bullhead
2. Melancholia
1. Oslo, August 31st (My review)

My Tentative Schedule

Thursday 11/3
7:00p J. Edgar
Friday 11/4
5:00p Hanaan
Saturday 11/5
1:15p Kinyarwanda
4:00p The Invader
7:00p Carnage
Sunday 11/6
1:30p Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
6:00p My Week With Marilyn
9:30p Secret Screening
Monday 11/7
1:15p Into the Abyss
4:00p Pina
7:00p An Evening with Pedro Almodovar – Law of Desire
Tuesday 11/8
1:30p Coriolanus
4:30p Jiro Dreams of Sushi
7:00p Jeff Who Lives at Home
10:00p The Zone
Wednesday 11/9
8:15p We Need to Talk About Kevin

Fantastic Fest 2011 is all wrapped up but plenty of nostalgia lives on. Movie fanatic Nirvana is the best way to describe Austin’s September celebration of all thing cinematic. Crazy incredible flicks, copious libations, and truly good times with great friends were had over the 8 sleepless days. We had WALL TO WALL coverage over at Twitch including over 70 reviews. You can check out the full recap in Twitch’s Super Festival Wrap and some other good stuff in Fantastic Fest in Photographs and our Great Fantastic Fest Open Preview. But here for your (well my) convenience is a list of everything I saw and my initial tweeted impression. Enjoy!

LET THE BULLETS FLY – My Grade: B-
LET THE BULLETS FLY features some great performances but it’s a bit long & subtleties too easily lost in translation.

SLEEPLESS NIGHT – My Grade: B+
SLEEPLESS NIGHT is a polished French actioner w/ solid fight seqs & a good story. Great intensity but could lose few mins.

POLVORA NEGRA – My Grade: D
When FantasticFest is over, I’ll remember nothing about POLVORA NEGRA.

MILOCRORZE – My Grade: B+
MILOCRORZE is charming, stylish & super schizophrenic. Ishibashi is exactly the kind of filmmaker I hope to discover at FantasticFest!
The future samurai world part of MILOCRORZE has some of the coolest costume/makeup/production design I’ve seen. Drank it up.

UNDERWATER LOVE – My Grade: B
UNDERWATER LOVE: It’ll make you wet. …anyone? Sorry.

THE CORRIDOR – My Grade: A-
Wow. THE CORRIDOR is the first absolute must see of FantasticFest! Pass. It. On.
Review

SNOWTOWN – My Grade: B
SNOWTOWN is an extremely impressive piece of cinema but wld have been just as effective & less exhausting w/ 30 mins trimmed.

ZOMBIE ASS – My Grade: B-
ZOMBIE ASS is basically live action tentacle porn w/ lots of fart jokes. So if that doesn’t sound awesome, u’ve been warned.

BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW – My Grade: B
BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW is a gorgeous color poem to 1980s sci-fi psychadelia but plot/trippedoutedness balance a bit off.
BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW could be edited into the greatest Chemical Brothers video of all time.

THE DAY – My Grade: B+
THE DAY is an excellent post apocalyptic actioner on a tiny budget. Lookin fwd to big things from new talent Luke Passmore.
Review

SMUGGLER – My Grade: D
Rly disappointed w/ Ishii’s SMUGGLER. Perfectly good crime actioner ruined by more disgusting torture porn. Whats wrong ppl?
Review

VERSUS – My Grade: B+
VERSUS is even more fun a decade later. Best Japanese zombie action extravaganza I’ve seen at FantasticFest (& I’m approaching dbl digits).

TAKE SHELTER – My Grade: A-
TAKE SHELTER a fascinating journey into a man’s soul. Brilliant filmmaking & acting. Exactly what I’d hoped to see.

PENUMBRA – My Grade: C+
It’s not unfair to call PENUMBRA an Argentine “Apartment of the Devil.” I liked it but wanted a bit more pace & originality.

CLOWN – My Grade: A-
CLOWN is pure Danish hilarity with way more heart than I expected. One of my faves so far at FantasicFest.

CARRE BLANC – My Grade: B
CARRE BLANC is a bold dystopian vision from to-watch newcomer Jean-Baptiste Leonetti.

HOW TO STEAL 2 MILLION – My Grade: C
HOW TO STEAL 2 MILLION is def not the best African film this year (see Viva Riva), but it is an impressive by-the-book debut.

MELANCHOLIA – My Grade: A
Put me down in the huge-fucking-fan category for MELANCHOLIA. Thought it was brilliant even if it is long. Potential Top10.

RETREAT – My Grade: B-
RETREAT features some impressive performances but doesn’t go quite crazy enough to make a lasting impression.

HEADHUNTERS – My Grade: B
HEADHUNTERS is a Norwegian action caper with a weird mix of heart & humor. Many like it but it was too uncomfortable for me.

LOVE – My Grade: C-
Had an extremely hard time staying awake 4 Angels and Airwaves film LOVE. It’s pretty but too much/not enough a nod to 2001.

MOVIES ON FIRE: 80s HONG KONG ACTION – My Grade: B+
I was skeptical about going to Hong Kong On Fire final film tonight but @Marshy00 prevailed. Forever grateful. Action PACKED.

BULLHEAD – My Grade: A
Wow Wow Wow BULLHEAD! Wow Michael Roskam! Wow Matthias Schoenarts! Late to the party bus but taking a seat at the front.
BULLHEAD is a brilliant crime epic fully deserving of Belgium’s Oscar submission. This year’s Animal Kingdom?

A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI – My Grade: B+
A BOY & HIS SAMURAI is a charming Jp family comedy, a clever commentary on modern gender roles but a bit short of fantastic.